Storytime

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

This month we have with us a multi-talented person, Margaret Fieland!
Margaret is a computer engineer, a musician, a poet and a writer.
Enjoy her interview!

Tell us about yourself first.

I'm a native New Yorker, born and raised in Manhattan, though I've lived in the Boston area since June of 1978, just after the big blizzard. I live with my partner and our seven dogs in the suburbs west of Boston. I play the flute and the piccolo, write primarily poetry and children's stories, and earn my living as a computer software engineer.
When did you start writing?

I started writing poetry as a teen, then continued on, writing poetry for friends, family, and significant others for pretty much any occasion I could think of. I enjoyed (and still do) rhyming, and developed my own algorithm for generating rhymes. I make frequent use of my thesaurus when writing, but rarely resort to rhyming dictionaries.

What genres have you written?

Poetry, nonfiction articles, children's stories, one or two stories for adults, technical documentation .. pretty much everything, though my first love is poetry, and now writing for children.
Is The Angry Little Boy your first book?

My book, "The Angry Little Boy," is unpublished as of now.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

It's about a little boy who loses his mother in a fire, and he and his father go to live with his grandmother.

What inspired you to write this book?

Many years ago now, a close friend lost his wife and four children in a fire. He was pretty much of a mess after that, and while there was nothing I could do to change the real, horrible, outcome for him, I could and did decide that I would write a story where the father and the child survived. I didn't want any dead siblings, so my main character is an only child.

How long did it take you to write it?

The first draft was 5000 words and I wrote it in a weekend. It's been over a year since I wrote that first draft. This is probably the third major revision.

Who is the publisher of your book?
Where is it on sale?

It's not -- yet.

Tell us about your other books/work.

I have a collection of poems about mathematics that I've started sending around seeking publication, and I'm most of the way through the first draft of my second novel, also for children.

What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career?

As a writer? Taking myself seriously, and making finding time for my writing a priority.

Has the Internet helped you in your writing career?How?

In several ways. I started writing for publication because of the internet. As a computer professional, one who's had to deal with lost data in my professional life I'm paranoid about losing documents, so I keep copies of my work online, currently in Google documents, which I love.

Several years ago, when I first started keeping my stuff online, I was home alone over Christmas vacation.. All the rest of the family was out, and I was reading a favorite ezine, when I noticed it had a poetry contest and that I had a poem which fit the parameters of the contest. I submitted it, and it was one of four finalists. It didn't win, but I was tremendously encouraged, and started working on my poetry. I joined a couple of websites with poetry forums. In one of them I learned about the Muse online writers conference. I joined another forum as a result of the conference, and started writing fiction.

What do you advise new writers to do?

Write, write, write. And keep backups of your documents, and keep them somewhere it's easy for you to get at them. I can't emphasize enough the benefits of being able to get your hands on your work, and to be able to look back over it. When I was scribbling in notebooks, I never reread my work, in large part because my handwriting is so awful even I have a hard time rereading it.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Today I present an excellent artist, the painter Randy Dillon!His new book has just come out, so you can have a look on Amazon (the link is below).Enjoy the interview!

Interview Q&A

Tell us a few things about yourself.

I was born in New Orleans, LA. When I was around 11, I moved with my family to Dallas, TX.

When did you start painting?

I remember that it was when I was 14 that I began to save the paintings I was creating.

Why did you start painting?

It was an impulse of mine to draw and I filled up notebooks at school when I should have been studying or paying attention in class. Painting seemed like the next natural step.I was always encouraged to draw by teachers at school.

What does Art offer you? What element attracted you to art?

Art gives a great freedom and breadth to communicate. My purpose is to make a picture that is as natural as as words or music.

What kind of medium do you use?

For painting I choose acrylic or oil paintings. I can't say that I have a preference as they possess their own strengths and weaknesses.

Where was your first art display?

In junior high school the teachers could see early on that I could draw and even the teachers who didn't teach art encouraged me. So they set up an art display for me in the school halls. Some of the art teachers I had started showing art from their students just to show my work. It was all very encouraging.

The last one?

The Whole Show at Kettle Art in Dallas, September 2009.

Let’s talk about your character. How would you define yourself?

It is very important to be open and honest. Trust has to be established up front.I would define myself as an avant-garde artist. I have to take chances in art to keep it interesting.

Something you consider a drawback?

Artists have to do a lot of marketing. It can be time consuming. The art gallery system is in a deep depression currently, so up and coming artists are having a hard time of getting their artwork into newspapers (and other traditional media outlets) without established connections.

What inspires you?

I find most of my inspiration in my life as an autobiographical resource and in other artists. Their is a thriving online art community on myspace, which has a really good art scene.

There is an article called "Bright Lights, Big Internet" By Bill Wasik in The New York Times where he writes that the "Internet is the new New York". If that doesn't inspire an artist to set up a website and network online, I don't know what does!

Who is your favorite artist?

Pablo Picasso.

Your star sign?

Scorpio.

What would you like to achieve?

I would like some day to be in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Manjula Naraynan was born in 1976 in Madurai, India. She was brought up and now lives in the South Indian city of Chennai. A graduate in Corporate Secretaryship from the University of Madras, she enjoys sketching and inventing fun characters that liven up her mind. The green Green Pear is her first work to be published as writer/illustrator and is also the first in the Color Trilogy she is working on.

The Green Green Pear is an illustrated book for kids focusing on the theme of self esteem. The little green pear does not love himself and he wants to be anything but a green green pear. Children are taught indirectly that it is important to have their own unique personality and that they should not try to change. Self confidence is a great issue in families and schools worldwide and should not be taken for granted.

The author is also the illustrator of the book and the combined result is impressive. The colors are vibrant and the forms cute. This book caters to very young kids, educators and parents worldwide. It is a great gift for pre school aged kids. Get it from www.amazon.com

Lori Foroozandeh was rescued with one of her fellow inmates by the girl’s family. She wrote this book to let people know of her unbelievable ordeal in Iran. More about her at http://outskirtspress.com/lorissong

Lori’s Song is a memoir that reads like an adventure story. The facts the author describes seem unbelievable at first, yet as the reader goes on they get to understand the author’s personality and identify with her in the events to come.

Lori trusted a man and followed him to his home country, Iran. There it was that all her troubles began. Foreign to the eastern culture that oppressed women, Lori had a hard time adjusting there. However, she soon managed to run a successful business and gain the respect of the local people. Her husband though became abusive and when she finally was about to return to America, a most terrible thing happened to her: she was arrested and held captive in an Iranian camp where she was brutally tortured. But Lori survived, flew back to USA and was finally able to tell people about her horrific experience in Iran.

This book is a good read that will cater to all adventure and travel lovers, memoir readers and culture researchers. The story is full of cultural elements that are very interesting since the western people do not really know much about Iran and its people. It may also help those who are addicted to drugs since the author herself was an addict and her troubles are closely related to this fact. The story is easy to read, it is gripping and can be read in one sitting. I mostly enjoyed the book due to the fact that it gave an outlook of the Iranian culture from the inside rather than from a general point of view. Get this book fromhttp://outskirtspress.com/lorissongandwww.amazon.com

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Interview with Juanita Rose Violini the author of Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored.

Tell us about yourself first.

When did you start writing?

At the age of six years, I wrote my first after returning to our small town from the big city. It was a story about an escalator. Who knew such wonders existed!

I wrote it in a music notation book and had a hard time squeezing my letters into those skinny lines.

What genres have you written?

Mysteries are my favorite genre though I have written some poetry and some fantasy short stories. I love drawing as much as I love writing.

Is Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored your first book?

It’s the first book that’s found a publisher.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

365 days of impossible occurrences, fantastic treasures, and incredible true tales will amaze, confound, and remind us just how mysterious this world really is. A magical daily read.

Years of research resulted in an unsolved mystery or unexplained phenomena for each day of the year. Ninety percent of the days have a mystery that happened on that exact day. All situations are pre 1999. Some of the mind boggling events that have occurred include:

·Prison guards and convicts witnessing a man vanish before their eyes.

·A cursed kimono causing three-quarters of Tokyo to go up in flames.

·Winners at the race track being foretold in dreams.

·A man being hung for murder but the rope broke - three times!

Daily entries also include a quote and a secret power intuited from the mystery of the day. Each day also includes an line drawing illustration which I did as well - all 365!

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to read it but it hadn’t been written yet.

How long did it take you to write it?

Ten years, eight of them were spent doing research. That’s a little misleading though because I began the project at the same time as giving birth to my third child. The first seven years were very sporadic as far as dedicated writing time is concerned.

Who is the publisher of your book?

Weiser Books, San Francisco

Where is it on sale?

Chapters - Indigo, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk and many independent bookstores.Tell us about your other books/work.

For twenty years I wrote, directed and produced corporate murder mystery entertainment. During that time I branched out into doing home mystery parties - Cluetrail Capers and children’s parties - The Gumshoe Detective Agency. Improv scripts and instructions are available at my website www. mysteryfactory.com.

Together with my husband, Tony, I have also written one mystery novel based on the time Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum were in Banff National Park (my hometown) filming ‘The River of No Return’ in 1953.

What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career?

Can’t think of any. The ‘next step’ has always been apparent and I’ve just taken it without worrying about the one after.

Has the Internet helped you in your writing career?

YES!

How?

It’s a fabulous research tool.

Often I have found conflicting information on the Internet on various topics being researched so I never take Internet information as the be all, end all. That said, it has pointed me in numerous directions to do supporting research that I never would have known existed.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Interview with Lea Schizas, the author of Doorman’s Creek and Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us.

Tell us about yourself first.

What can I say? I’m certifiably nuts, always busy and swamped, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stressed brings out the creative juices in me and I get more things accomplished than when I have peace and quiet and all the time in the world.

But the sane part of me is a mommy of five children between the ages of 16 and 31. I’m also a mommy to a Bull Terrier and a Shi Tzu.

When did you start writing?

I always joke that I mistook my mommy’s umbilical cord as a neat writing implement. In other words, I can’t remember NOT writing in my life.

What genres have you written?

Published, I have a YA paranormal suspense thriller (Doorman’s Creek), and a YA drama. However, I am writing mystery, paranormal, romance, sci-fi, and fantasy currently, along with a vamp/werewolf genre for an extra ‘bite’ of glee.

Is that your first book?

Actually, Doorman’s Creek the screenplay was my very first full manuscript I wrote. About a year or so later I turned the screenplay into a novel.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

Let me just explain that I love writing for the YA market because using teens as my characters I have the leeway to really spice things up with tons of surprises since teens react impulsively at times with their actions and reactions.

The book is about three teen boys, best friends since childhood, who are in search of a cave in Doorman’s Creek they had spotted on a previous outing but never had the time to fully investigate. Within the dank cave they discover more than they anticipated…a skeleton and an unknown entity that pits them smack in the path of a serial killer.

My main character develops a sense of ESP right after the contact with the skeleton and sees through the eyes of the killer. Once a family member gets killed the boys realize they need to track down the killer before anyone else gets killed.

There are tons of surprises and twists and turns in the book and I had a blast writing it.

What inspired you to write this book?

I remember seeing the movie Eyes of Laura Mars with Faye Dunaway I believe where she sees through the eyes of the killer and had it always in the back of my mind to come up with a young adult story but incorporating some paranormal substance to the book, too. When I restarted my career late 90s that impulse to write this type of a book was still quite strong and I went for it.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me about 3 months to write the screenplay but about a year to finetune and add background, the five senses and other areas to round off the novel.

Who is the publisher of your book?

Vickie Kennedy, publisher of eTreasures.com read and loved the book and immediately contracted it.

The other published book is a Young Adult drama – Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us. It’s the story about two kids from opposite sides of the track – one is a tough kid battling fun of his name Bubba, and the other battling bullies at school. One of the two friends hides a secret that will prove to be a deadly move at one point. The whole concept of the novel is to show kids the affects and reasons behind bullying, solutions, and also to give one possible reason for actions by a bully.

Along the same theme is Libby the Odd Squirrel – about a white squirrel shunned by the gray squirrels until one brave action changes this situation. It’s a picture story book aimed for 4 – 6 year olds and contracted by 4RV Publishing, my publisher for the book above, and due out early next year.

I also have I Don’t Want a Haircut and Robbie and Katie Get a Hairy Scare by Guardian Angel Publishing due for release early next year. These books deal with interpretations of young kids on their first haircut experience. Tons of images for a young reader to enjoy, followed with humor to keep their interest.

Finally, my last contracted book, a nonfiction one, Autism Epidemic: Shaking the System, is a motivational and helpful insight to autism. The book is not only for families with children who have autism, but a great resource for anyone to help bring more autism awareness to the general public and to sensitize them about the needs and overall picture of how these precious children react and act to certain situations. The book will be available in print this fall by Red Rose Publishing.

Then I have all of my other books, way too many to mention here, that I am currently working on.

What are the major challenges that you have faced in your career?

Time! Did I mention TIME! There’s not enough time to accomplish everything on my plate. I have no idea who invented only 24 hours in a day. LOL! Other than that, I can’t say I’ve faced any challenge.

Has the Internet helped you in your writing career?

How?

The Internet has helped immensely. Through the great worldwide web I’ve met and kept in touch with many cyber pals, set up a few online ezines, an online writers conference, many helpful writing groups, and met my clients I freelance edit their manuscripts.

What do you advise new writers to do?

My biggest tip is to never give up if you’ve got a deep passion for writing. Rejections should only piss you off to prove you can do it. Don’t listen to family and friends who state you are wasting your time. People who have no clue about the writing world don’t understand the time necessary to build your good name, to build a readership, to build your promotional platform…keep plugging away and build yourself a tough outer shell. All reviews and critiques won’t be glamorous. That’s just a part of the business. Get used to it.

Lea Schizas is a mother of five and tenderly referred as ‘Mother Hen’ by many writers.Many have asked me where I find the time to do all that I do. Easy, when you have a deep passion for your work, you will always find time to complete your projects. Lea Schizashttp://www.leaschizas.com Email: museitupeditor@yahoo.ca Lea Schizas is an award-winning author and editor, a short story competition winner, living in Montreal with her husband Jimmy and five children. She describes herself as “finally woke up after a 23-year self-induced coma taking care of the family, and rediscovered my passion for writing.”

She is the Founder and Editor in Chief of two Writer’s Digest 101 Top Writing Sites since 2004 and recipients of several Preditors and Editors Awards: Apollo’s Lyre, an online writer’s Zine: http://www.apollos-lyre.com; the online writing critique community The MuseItUp Club, http://museitupclub.tripod.com/;
-Founder of The Muse Online Writers Conference, http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonlinewritersconference/-Founder of The Muse Marquee, http://themusemarquee.tripod.com-Founder of The Muse Book Reviews, http://themusebookreviews.tripod.com-Reviewer for the award-winning site AllBooksReviews.com
-Editor for Double Dragon Publishing
-Submissions Editor for Red Rose Publishing.

She is the author of the Young Adult paranormal suspense/thriller “Doorman’s Creek”, co-author and editor of the nonfiction writing reference book “The Muse On Writing” (http://www.freewebs.com/themuseonwriting ) and the fantasy “Aleatory’s Junction” (http://aleatorysjunction.tripod.com/ ), and author of “The Librarian Who Wasn’t”, a short story appearing in the EPPIE award-winning Anthology “Twisted Tails II”, and an article published in the book, “Hollywood Experts” a Silver Foreword award winner.

In 2009, she has been offered three new contracts:

Libby the Odd Squirrel and Robbie and Katie Get A Hairy Scare
both contracted by Guardian Angel Publishing and 4RV Publishing has offered her a contract for I Don’t Want A Haircut

Bubba hates it when his dad gets a contract for a new project. That means uprooting the family from one city and moving to another. Attending a new school is a major pet peeve of his. His smart alecky nature attracts the bullies in every school he’s attended.

On the first day of school, Bubba bumps into this rather large student. Fearing a confrontation, he wears his tough guy attitude and waits for the punches to begin. Remarkably, the new student apologizes, and Bubba and David (aka Giganto as Bubba eventually nicknames him) become best friends.

Bubba and Giganto try out for the high school soccer team, and that’s when trouble begins. Bubba knew eventually he’d meet the bullies of the school, and he was right.

In the first initial weeks, Bubba learns about a death that occurred the previous year; faces the bullies on several occasions; helps Giganto practice soccer before tryouts; and challenges the bullies to a scrimmage.

Little does Bubba know Giganto holds a secret - one that will place Giganto in a deadly situation.

Lea Schizas, a multi published award winning author and editor, is a mother of five living in Montreal. Visit her at www.LeaSchizas.com

Bubba and Giganto is the story of Bubba, a newcomer in a school, who befriends a huge boy called David (Giganto) and together they are a good team. They soon have to confront the bullies of the school; what will happen? Is Bubba going to surrender?

The story is told in the first person in a diary like style, so it is direct and vivid, thus attracting the readers’ attention immediately. The language is fresh and casual and the descriptions skillfully brisk and alive. The author uses an original humorous way to describe things happening to Bubba so the story is highly enjoyable to read.This story is also exceptionally moving at times while highlighting the benefits of true friendship. The issue of bullying the author focuses on in this book is a common problem prevalent in most schools nowadays and should be dealt somehow by both parents and teachers.Therefore, this book should be read by families and educators as it might help them understand kids better. Lea tries to analyze the characters’ inner feelings by offering readers a close look into their behavior.This is an interesting read that caters to all the family.Get this book from

The White Snail

Bilingual kids' book

The White Snail

Written and illustrated by Iliana Metallinou

TheWhiteSnailincludes an exciting story and educational material appropriate for young readers.It is the first of a series of books that aims to encourage childrento read stories while, at the same time learn about nature.At the end of each book there are educational activities.

TheWhiteSnail’sbasicthemeisself-esteem that develops from early childhood.Theheroofthisstorybelievesthatheisnot equaltotheothersnailsjust because he is different.This story is about the differences among people or peoples generally.It caters not only to young kids but also to adults, parents and teachers.

This series also aims to highlight some of the small miracles of nature, that we usually take for granted.TheWhiteSnailencouragesthereadertonoticesnailscloselyandlearnsomefactsaboutthemvia the educational activity at the end of the book.

BILINGUALΤΕΧΤ: GREEK/ENGLISH

This book can be read both in Greek and English.Thus, it caters to Foreign Language education as well as to readers all over the world.